Warm Rain, Earth, and Whiplash
by SqueakyZorro
Summary: A mother's work is never done, even when her son is a 107-year-old vampire. Did Esme just stand by while Edward went all emo? A day in the life of a mommy vamp. Rated M 'cause hey, Carlisle's there, too. Twilight Canon Tour entry.


**Warm Rain, Earth, and Whiplash**

Summary: A mother's work is never done, even when her son is a 107-year-old vampire. Do you really think Esme just stood by while Edward went all emo during Twilight? A day in the life of a mommy vamp. Rated M because wherever Esme is, Carlisle is also, and those two just find each other irresistible.

Disclaimer: All characters and recognizable story elements belong to Stephenie Meyer; no copyright infringement is intended.

_**~WRE&W~**_

_She is my first, great love. She was a wonderful, rare woman—you do not know; as strong, and steadfast, and generous as the sun. She could be as swift as a white whiplash, and as kind and gentle as warm rain, and as steadfast as the irreducible earth beneath us._

_**-D.H. ****Lawrence** _

_There is no point at which you can say, "Well, I'm successful now. I might as well take a nap."_

_**-Carrie ****Fisher** _

_**~WRE&W~**_

I looked at my blueprints with satisfaction. The new wing at the women's shelter in Port Angeles was going to be perfect. I already had ideas for the interior design work, which Rosalie said she'd help with. Two floors, two laundry rooms per floor, twenty units, each with its own full bathroom and kitchenette, and many of which could be connected to allow larger families to stay together . . . It would double the current space at a time when it was desperately needed. In addition to the many other effects of the dismal economy, domestic violence always increased when money was tight. Rose and I had worked on many similar projects in the various places we'd lived.

My visions of the expanded facility scattered at the sound of the piano on the floor below me. The haunting melody that Edward had composed—the _lullaby,_as he called it—drifted up to me. He played almost every day now, after years of all but ignoring his music. I smiled to myself. _He's __already __down __for __the __count __and __doesn't __even __know __it._

A month ago, when Alice first explained her vision of Bella as Edward's mate, I would have suppressed this thought until Edward had left the house, not wanting my musings to be overheard. I respected Edward's shock at finding his mate to be a human girl and was willing to give him time and space to reflect; after all, I wasn't oblivious to the fact that resolving this situation was akin to finding a way out of the labyrinth—without the help of Ariadne or Daedalus.

Lately, though, I didn't care if he knew what I was thinking. After eighty-odd years alone, his affections had finally been engaged by a lovely, smart, kind girl. But did he court her? See if she felt the same? No! He was outright ignoring her—even as biology lab partners, he refused to speak unless absolutely necessary. To my mind, he was throwing away his chance at happiness, and I was past being shy about letting him know my opinion.

His laugh floated up the stairs, followed by his comment. "When have you ever been shy about letting me know your opinion?"

I had to chuckle. After I'd been changed, I had of course had a few newborn outbursts, but for the most part, I had been afraid of my own shadow, timid about expressing any preference or opinion in case it conflicted with Carlisle's or Edward's. Over time, Carlisle's love and Edward's understanding encouraged me to assert and express myself, and I no longer hesitated to take either of them to task if it was deserved.

Edward's voice retained some of his laughter's humor, but an unyielding tone underlay his next statement. "I don't deserve it, though. I'm doing the right thing. I will not condemn her soul."

Exasperated, I dropped the blueprints and flitted downstairs to where he toyed with the piano keys. I regarded him, hands on my hips in a human gesture that I'd somehow retained through my change. "Really, Edward? _You_ won't condemn her? The fate of her soul lies in _your_ hands? Since when are you God?"

All traces of humor left his face, and he stared at me stonily. "I never said I was God. But if she's changed just so that I can have her as my mate, I may as well be the devil."

Huffing in frustration, I replied, "She seems like a lovely girl! You're such a wonderful man—I know she'd fall for you in an instant if you were so much as polite instead of giving her a silent cold shoulder." My tone shifted as sympathy overcame my irritation. I knew that he suffered at times, the lone single male living with three mated couples, and I wanted him to know the amazing beauty of such a connection with another. "You've been alone so long, Edward, so very long! Why not pursue this chance? Are you trying to beat Carlisle's record for how long it takes to settle down? He'd be the first to tell you that centuries alone is nothing to envy!"

"Enough." He said nothing more, but his own frustration and irritation were apparent even in the single word. "I know you don't agree, but I have to do what I believe is right. And it could never be right to steal away the normal human life that she's entitled to."

"It wouldn't be stealing if she loved you, too, and wanted to be with you. Carlisle found me and changed me, and Rosalie found Emmett and asked Carlisle to change him—it's not at all uncommon for a vampire to find his mate in a human. Why—"

He cut me off. "You were all but dead, and Emmett was dying! It's not the same thing, and you know it."

Mustering additional arguments, I opened my mouth to speak, only to find his fingers against my mouth, gently but firmly.

"No. No more. I know you're trying to help, but this just . . . it just makes it harder, Mom. Please, let it rest."

His sad eyes gazed into mine, and I felt my heart break a little for him. He rarely called me by that title, and he knew the effect it had on me. Unwillingly, I softened, as he'd known I would. Raising my hand to his cheek, I said, "I so want to see you happy, and to watch you deny yourself . . ." I couldn't help thinking the rest of my sentence, though I knew he would hear it . . . _for __no __good __reason.__.__._

He stepped back so that my hand fell, turned sharply, and ran from the room before I could say another word. Just before slamming the door behind him, he threw over his shoulder, "Hunting! I'll be back later."

I sighed heavily. _You're __so __stubborn!_ I hoped he was still close enough to hear me.

A deep chuckle startled me, and I turned to see my mate and husband looking at me with a grin. My answering smile appeared without conscious thought. He was everything I could imagine wanting in a man, and sometimes I thought I could just sit and look at him for days, wallowing in his beauty—inside and out.

"You heard?" My smile became wry.

His low, smooth voice was like balm to my ruffled sensibilities. "I'm afraid so, at least most of it. You seemed rather . . . involved, and I suppose you didn't hear the car pull up."

"I must have been more focused than I realized if I didn't hear that." I walked over to him, and his arms enveloped me. Closing my eyes in contentment, I rested my head on his chest and returned the embrace.

"You know you won't talk him into changing his mind," he said mildly. His calm tone was at once soothing and vaguely irritating. "All we can do is be patient until he comes to realize it for himself. While Alice says her visions have muddied a bit, they haven't changed."

"True." I pouted. "You're far more patient than I am. I just want to slap that boy sometimes!"

"I doubt that would help matters," he commented dryly. "It's not as though Edward has no cause for trepidation. It's still questionable how the relationship could even work, particularly if he is determined not to change her. He has amazing control, but for a vampire to have a close relationship with a human—one who is to _stay_ human—constant vigilance would be essential."

I sighed. I hated it when he was rational. I had no grounds to argue with him when he made so much sense. I just wanted Alice's vision _now_.

He chuckled at my silence, knowing full well what my thoughts were even without Edward's gift. "You are a hopeless romantic, my love, and I wish you will never change."

Giggling, I raised my head to look at him. "No, I'm a hope_ful_ romantic." I pulled his head down and kissed him soundly. "And why shouldn't I be? I got you, didn't I?"

"That you did," he murmured against my lips. "You have me for eternity." He deepened the kiss, parting his mouth so our tongues could mingle. A whimper escaped me at the slow, languid pleasure. We'd been making love for nearly eighty years, yet it was always the same: one touch, and I melted. Knowing that we needed comfort in our mutual anxiety over our son, I responded softly but deeply. I buried my fingers in his hair, rubbing his scalp in a way I knew he found both arousing and soothing, and was rewarded with a purr. A tingle ran through me at the sensual sound.

I hazily decided that one of the best things about being a vampire was the ability to kiss without needing to stop for air. Standing in each other's arms, I lost track of how long we kissed, changing pressures, shifting angles, nibbling and licking each other's lips. Quiet moans and rumbling purrs gave voice to our delight.

By unspoken agreement, we paused for a split second and met each other's eyes. Taking his hand, I led him up the stairs to our bedroom where I shut the door in a largely symbolic gesture of privacy. Turning to my mate, I tugged at his tie as a smile played about my lips. I could visualize perfectly what lay beneath his clothes, but his wonderfully-formed body never failed to thrill me just the same. Needing to give, to show him just how much I loved him, I let my lips wander over the marble flesh I uncovered. Shoulders, chest, abdomen all received my gentle attentions.

Letting my tongue dip into his navel, I dropped to my knees and unfastened his pants. I continued the adoring journey I'd begun, stroking his long, muscled legs, seeking out a pleasure spot behind his knee with my tongue and feeling his involuntary response, letting my hair brush over his arousal in a tantalizing caress. His groan let me know he needed a firmer touch, and I gladly provided it, wrapping my hand around the base and devoting my lips and tongue to the tip. When I added to the stimulation by cupping the globes below, he threw his head back and let go. I sat back on my heels and watched the pleasure course through him.

Less than a second later, I found myself on my back in our bed as Carlisle covered my torso with kisses, paying particular attention to my breasts. Another benefit of loving a vampire made itself known as his arousal, just as firm as minutes earlier, nudged my thigh. I let my hands lay palm up beside my head as he took similar liberties with my body that I'd just taken with his. Slow licks and nibbles along my ribs were followed by a gentle but firm caress between my legs as his fingers sought the opening. His mouth drifted lower, and my back arched as his licks and nibbles were directed at my most sensitive and intimate places. Achingly slow, his fingers entered me, pumping in a way that drove my excitement to fever pitch. Unable to wait any longer, I raised my hands and tugged at his shoulders, pulling him over me and into me in one smooth motion.

We both purred at the enticing sensation, rocking our hips together slowly at first, just enjoying the feeling of being as close to our mate as it was possible to be. Soon, though, the speed of our movements increased. I cried out, grinding myself against him as his piston-like thrusts drove me to the crest, only to feel him follow just seconds later. Holding him to me, I purred and whispered my love and heard his vows of devotion in return.

His head rested on my breasts, and as I stroked his hair, I felt a vague sense of gratitude for the reinforcement Rosalie and Emmett had added to all of the couples' beds. Before they perfected their design, we'd been forced to save our lovemaking for the floor or outside unless we wished to purchase new furniture on an embarrassingly frequent basis. I giggled at the thought and Carlisle lifted his head, silently inquiring as to the source of my amusement. When I told him, he joined in my laughter.

One of his hands tangled itself in my hair and tugged my head back, so he could feather kisses over my throat. He licked and sucked lightly at the scar he'd made, a habit of his that I wholeheartedly encouraged. For us, it was a symbol of our joining, in many ways more meaningful even than our wedding rings.

I wished that I could convince Edward how grateful I was that Carlisle had given me this gift, allowing us to be together forever. Even if I hadn't been dying, I would have welcomed the chance. Life was full of choices that had advantages and disadvantages, but the joy of being with my true soul mate more than outweighed any pain in this existence.

Indulging in one aspect of that joy, I moved my hands to Carlisle's bottom and squeezed. He jumped a bit, not expecting such a playful move after our slow joining. Lifting a head, he arched a brow at me. Grinning, I complimented him. "I know I've told you before, my love, but you have the most perfect backside known to man or vampire. Sometimes I just can't resist it." He laughed and fell to tickling me.

Round two was a decided change in mood.

By the time Edward returned from his hunt, Carlisle and I had made ourselves decent and were absorbed in our individual interests, he in his study researching some medical technique or other and I in my own study, brainstorming interior designs for the shelter with Rosalie.

Remembering how he had left, driven away by my repeated badgering, I excused myself and greeted him in the foyer. Of course, he read my remorse before I could say a word.

"Esme, you don't need to apologize. I understand, and I know you just want the best for me."

I sighed and approached him. I knew he wasn't completely comfortable with touching, but if anyone needed a hug, he did. Surrounding his torso with my arms, I squeezed him as tight as I could, driving a reluctant laugh from him. "All right, consider me hugged! I'm going to crack if you keep that up."

"I do want you to be happy. You're the most wonderful son I could imagine—" I ignored the "Hey!" from Emmett, who was playing video games with Jasper in the living room— "and you deserve so much more than this melancholy you seem to delight in."

Edward chuckled and returned my hug. "Well, maybe happiness like that isn't in the cards for me."

I snorted and pulled away so I could look at his face. "Oh! You're such an Eeyore!" Emmett and Jasper laughed so hard they had to stop playing for a moment, and I could hear Rosalie and Alice snickering upstairs. Carlisle was silent, but I knew his expression would reflect a combination of amusement and caution: amusement at my comment and caution to me not to tease Edward any more for the moment.

I ran my fingers through his wild bronze hair in one of my periodic but futile attempts to tame it before framing my son's face with my hands and kissing him soundly on the cheek. "Things will work out. I just know they will. In the meantime, you are a beloved part of this family, and don't you dare forget it."

He smiled and ducked his head in a way that I knew meant he'd be blushing if he were human. "No, ma'am." Pausing long enough to peck my cheek, he whispered, "I love you, too, Mom," before darting up the stairs. A moment later, I heard his shower start.

More slowly, I, too, ascended the stairs, rejoining Rose who had by this time outlined her ideas for two suites. "Those look just lovely, Rose. You have the perfect touch."

She thanked me and started to sketch possibilities for a third room as I took in more details of the first two units. After a moment, she spoke. "I don't know why you bother. First, he likes being miserable, and second, this human would only cause trouble. We're just lucky she's kept quiet so far—if he starts spending time with her, she'll have even more evidence that something about us is off. And once she knows for sure, what's to stop the Volturi from hearing about it? That's the last thing we need."

When Carlisle first told her about the Volturi's role in vampire life, his explanation had been colored by the largely pleasant memories he had of his time with them and the knowledge that Aro in particular enjoyed his friendship. Later, though, she had heard the Denalis tell the tale of their mother's destruction at the Volturi's hands, as well as Jasper's recitation of how they had dealt with the southern vampire wars. From then on, she'd been determined to protect her family from them.

"We'll cross that bridge if and when we reach it. For now, well . . . you know better than anyone how finding your mate enriches your life. You only had to wait two years for yours—how lonely do you think Edward's been for the last eighty?"

She sniffed but said nothing, and I chuckled internally, knowing that it would take something drastic for her to express open sympathy for her brother. They acted like true siblings, fighting, arguing, and teasing each other mercilessly—until faced with an outside threat. Then, their loyalty came to the fore, and each would defend the other fiercely.

Knowing what lay beneath her insensitivity to Bella, I struggled to find a way to reassure her without openly stating the problem; with the whole family in the house, they couldn't help but hear, which I knew she would hate.

"Do you think you'll be able to help with the residents once the new wing is open? I know you said you didn't think they'd let you since they think you're just a teenager, but some of the residents won't me much older than that. Just because they underestimate you because of how you look, you don't have to go along with it. You have such a gift for relating to these families." I tried to hint at my point. She had such a love-hate relationship with her beauty, loving and craving the attention she drew while simultaneously hating most people's inability to see her other, deeper qualities—and fearing, unreasonably, that perhaps she lacked any other worthwhile talents. Edward damned her absorption with her looks as vanity, but I knew they caused nearly as much insecurity as confidence. "Let me talk the director and staff into it, and we'll watch you surprise the hell out of them."

She laughed at my unaccustomed use of mild profanity and agreed before returning to the previous subject, albeit in a more relaxed way.

"As long as the Volturi stay away, fine; he can do as he pleases with his little human. I'll let up, a little. But if it comes down to her or this family, you know what I'll choose."

"I understand. But Rose, if she is Edward's mate? She'll be part of this family, too."

She met my eyes, stubbornly refusing to give an inch. Nothing more could be accomplished tonight on this subject, and I turned the conversation back to the expansion plans

Later that night, Carlisle and I wandered my garden hand in hand. The crescent moon provided more than enough light, making our skin glow softly, and the air was filled with the scent of early spring's first blooms. Snowdrops and crocus dotted the yard, accenting the tranquil scene.

Resting my head on his shoulder as we walked, I commented, "Things are shifting, don't you think? Change doesn't happen easily for us, but I can feel something coming, even though I'm not Alice."

He hummed in agreement. "Certainly, Edward is changing a great deal, and that means that all of us are affected. We can only try to help each other the best we can and hope this . . . relationship . . . ends well." His smile was dry as he finished, "Edward never does anything the easy way."

I laughed with him. "No, he doesn't, does he? I suppose it would be too much to expect him to fall for Tanya, who was there for the asking without any need for this gut-wrenching angst about what it might mean to change her."

His shout of laughter warmed me; I loved when I was able to ease his mood, concerned as he was about his first child. "Indeed. One thing is for certain, my love: The future will be challenging."

I placed myself in front of him and wrapped my arms around his waist. "Well, we'll face it together. I will always be here for you."

His golden eyes appeared silver in the moonlight as he gazed into mine. "And I for you. Always."

We sealed our vow before returning to the family we loved, ready to face whatever came in this new phase of our lives.


End file.
